War Cry 21 August 2021

Comic celebrates 140 years of encouraging kids

WAR CRY

21 August 2021 50p

He’s started Mastermind returns with new presenter but time-honoured test of knowledge

‘I didn’t swim to be a Paralympic champion’

The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity providing services in the community, particularly to those who are vulnerable and marginalised. Motivated by our Christian faith, we offer practical support and services in more than 700 centres throughout the UK to all who need them, regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation. To find your nearest centre visit salvationarmy.org.uk/find-a-church

What is the War Cry? The Salvation Army first published a newspaper called the War Cry in London in December 1879, and we have continued to appear every week since then. Our name refers to our battle for people’s hearts and souls as we promote the positive impact of the Christian faith and The Salvation Army’s fight for greater social justice.

WAR CRY Issue No 7539

Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk The Salvation Army UK Territory with the Republic of Ireland 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN Tel: 0845 634 0101 Helpline: 020 7367 4888 Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org

IN 2012, the UK hosted what was described as ‘the greatest Paralympic Games ever’. A record 2.7 million tickets were sold to packed crowds who watched 4,237 athletes compete in 503 medal events.

One of the medal-winning athletes was US swimmer Mallory Weggemann.

She is going for gold again in the Tokyo Paralympics, which begin on Tuesday (24 August), and in this week’s issue she talks about what motivates her in and out of the water.

Concerned by the lack of representation of people with disabilities, which she discovered after she was paralysed at the age of 18, she says that as an athlete she hopes ‘to empower’ the next generation.

In her own life, Mallory has been helped by her Christian faith. She confesses that she has sometimes been angry about her paralysis, but she has come to know that God ‘is not sitting there, laying out everything that will happen to us and we just have to deal with it. Instead,’ she says, ‘he gives us the strength and the resources to navigate through what happens in life.’

Such an understanding of God has helped countless people navigate life, whatever its successes and struggles. It’s one reason why The Salvation Army’s children’s comic Kids Alive! has for 140 years aimed to communicate the story of Jesus and how he has given people a picture of God. In an interview to mark the weekly’s birthday next week, its present editor Justin Reeves tells us: ‘If a child’s first encounter with Jesus is seeing a cartoon story in Kids Alive! and learning that he is someone who can be in their life in any situation, celebrating their joys as well as helping them when they’re troubled, then I think we’ve achieved something.’

Mallory talks of faith as ‘a powerful way to see the bigger picture and live life’.

It’s a truth which is portrayed every week in ad the War C the pages of Kids Alive! and the War Cry – e re ry u’v and which continues to make an impact on people of all generations.

CONTENTS

Founder: William Booth General: Brian Peddle Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill Editor-in-Chief: Major Mal Davies Published weekly by The Salvation Army © The Salvation Army United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland ISSN 0043-0226 The Salvation Army Trust is a registered charity. The charity number in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 214779, in Scotland SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland CHY6399.

Printed by Walstead Roche Ltd, St Austell, on sustainably sourced paper

INFO Your local Salvation Army centre

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Editor: Andrew Stone, Major Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow Production Editor: Ivan Radford Assistant Editor: Sarah Olowofoyeku Staff Writer: Emily Bright Staff Writer: Claire Brine Editorial Assistant: Linda McTurk Graphic Designer: Rodney Kingston Graphic Designer: Mark Knight

From the editor’s desk

When yo

What is The Salvation Army?

6 9

FEATURES

3

Pass tense

Mastermind returns

5

Last Christmas, now

Businesses back delayed festivities

6

In the swim

Paralympic champion goes for

gold again

9

Alive! and kicking

Kids’ weekly comic is 140 years old

REGULARS

4

War Cry World

12 Team Talk 13 Puppy Tales 14 Puzzles

15

15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: BBC/HINDSIGHT/HAT TRICK PRODUCTIONS/

WILLIAM CHERRY/PRESS EYE

Clive Myrie is the new host of ‘Mastermind’

IN THE

BBC/HINDSIGHT/HAT TRICK PRODUCTIONS/WILLIAM CHERRY/PRESS EYE

SPOTLIGHT Quiz show’s return puts pressure on contestants to come up with answers TV preview by Emily Bright

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T’S time to brush up your general knowledge, switch your quizzing brain over to BBC Two, and hum along to one of TV’s best-known theme tunes as a new series of Mastermind starts on Monday (23 August).

There’s a new host at the helm – Clive Myrie, who is perhaps best known for grappling with the big questions of the day’s agenda on BBC news programmes.

As quizmaster, he will chair rounds that put contestants’ specialist subject savvy, general knowledge and allround mettle to the test.

Time will tell if they can give him sure-footed answers or only panicked passes.

For almost 50 years, whether quizzed

by Magnus Magnusson, Clive Anderson or John Humphrys, participants have had their eyes fixed on reaching the Mastermind final and taking home the distinctive engraved glass trophy – a symbol of triumph in one of the most intellectually challenging competitions on TV. No matter how hard the contestants

prepare for the show, though, there will always be questions that they cannot answer when sitting in the black-leather hot seat. The name of the theme tune, ‘Approaching Menace’, seems to sum up the contestants’ experience on the programme, as they have no idea what question they’ll be faced with next.

It’s easy to become speechless under the spotlight. Answers can prove elusive.

While none of us have to face a Mastermind grilling – and few will – many of us can relate to those moments when we feel as if we’ve lost control or don’t know how to react in the situations we face.

These past 18 months – with the lockdowns and exceptional challenges posed by Covid-19 – have put our problems in the spotlight and often left us with more questions than answers.

Whether we’re facing relationship difficulties, financial hardship or job insecurity, it can be frightening to think about the future. Sometimes, we’re simply trying to survive.

They’ve no idea what question they’ll be faced with next

In such times, it’s easy to lose hope.

But many have found hope by believing in a power far greater than their own: God. They find countless stories in the Bible of people who felt ill equipped and underprepared for what was ahead, yet who, drawing on God’s help and knowing his love for them, went on to triumph over impossible odds.

After leading them out of slavery in Egypt, one such person, Moses, told the ancient Israelites as they faced an uncertain future: ‘Be strong and courageous … for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you’ (Deuteronomy 31:6 New International Version).

Moses’ words offered his listeners a timely reminder that they would not have to tackle the big questions surrounding their future alone. God had been with them their whole lives and would never leave them, no matter what trials lay ahead.

That promise remains true for us all today. All we need to do is seek out a relationship with God. With his help, whatever challenges we’ve started to face, we will finish by overcoming.

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TOM WREN/SWNS

WORSHIPPERS at a church in Swindon can get to their seats by going down a massive slide after recent renovation works.

Pattern Church meets in a grade II listed building, which was bought by the church in 2018 and has since been undergoing redevelopment and renovation.

Lead minister, the Rev Joel Sales, was keen to put a slide in the building. He said it was similar to the way people have put art in churches for centuries, to reflect what God is like.

‘Lots of people think God’s angry, distant and boring,’ he says. ‘But the Bible tells us that he’s happy, and he’s close and he’s fun. When you look at what God says he’ll do in the lives of Christians, it doesn’t say that he’ll make them more serious or more intense, it says that he’ll make us more joyful.’

Church services take place on the building’s lower ground floor, so after going into the building through the main entrance on the first floor, attendees can get to the service by taking the stairs or the twisty slide.

WAR CRY

Karl grateful to doctor and prayer A SALVATION Army minister who spent weeks last year in a London hospital’s intensive care unit, suffering with Covid-19, has been reunited with the doctor who cared for him, reported The Guardian.

According to the paper, when Major Karl Gray – a support officer for The Salvation Army in north London – came face to face with Dr Susan Jain, an intensive care consultant at Homerton University Hospital, he was quick to express his gratitude, saying: ‘I can never thank you enough.

You saved my life.’

During the conversation between the doctor and the former patient, Karl reflected on his Christian faith, explaining how prayer helped him in his recovery.

‘From day one, there were hundreds, if not thousands, of people praying for me,’ he said.

‘And I believe to this day that those prayers were answered.’

Traffickers use Covid to exploit, says report HUMAN trafficking overseas has been made worse by the economic insecurity caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a report produced by The Salvation Army and partners.

The report, How has the International Anti-trafficking Response Adapted to Covid-19?, identifies how job insecurity and school closures have driven a rise in online exploitation, child labour and sexual exploitation of women.

However, the report also highlights how charities, including faith-based organisations such as The Salvation Army, have provided food, medication and sanitation products to support communities in developing countries, making them less susceptible to offers from traffickers.

It adds that faith leaders have also played an warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk instrumental role in spreading accurate health information and in challenging behaviours that would lead to unsafe migration or trafficking. @TheWarCryUK As well as The Salvation Army, the report includes contributions from the universities TheWarCryUK of Leeds and Nottingham, the International Anti-Human Trafficking Network and the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local salvationarmy.org.uk/warcry Communities.

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AN early Christian artefact has been discovered on the Orkney island of Sanday, reports The Times. The Pictish cross, thought to date from soon after Christianity arrived on the islands about 1,300 years ago, was found by Malcolm Sinclair while he was doing farm work.

At first, Malcolm assumed it was just a large rock and threw it aside. But a couple of months later, after the rain had washed dirt off part of the stone, he saw what appeared to be engravings.

‘We wanted to ask someone rather than touch it or do any more damage, so I contacted [the archaeologist] Cath Parker,’ Malcolm’s wife, Jackie, told the paper. ‘She left me a message saying: “I found out more about it, don’t touch it!”… It has been confirmed as an eighth-century Pictish cross from [the] very early Christian period and an extremely special find.’

DAFNA GAZIT/ISRAEL ANTIQUITIES AUTHORITY

Archaeologists make Bible name discovery A PIECE of pottery dating from about 1100BC and inscribed with a name given to a biblical leader has been uncovered by archaeologists in Israel.

The ink inscription on what would have been a vessel has been deciphered as Jerubbaal, an alternative name for Gideon, one of the leaders whose stories are told in the Bible’s Book of Judges.

According to the Bible, Gideon led an army that defeated the Midianites, who would cross over the River Jordan and plunder the Israelites’ crops.

The artefact, which dates from the period of the judges, was found during excavations being conducted near Qiryat Gat. The directors of the excavation say that it is the first time that the name Jerubbaal has been discovered in an archaeological context. They suggest that, even if the jug on which it was written did not belong to Gideon, the discovery of the name shows that historical memories were faithfully preserved in biblical tradition.

The most wonderful time of the year, again Businesses look to boost economy by celebrating Christmas this month Report by Sarah Olowofoyeku

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T’S beginning to look a lot like Christmas. And no, you haven’t picked up an old issue of the War Cry – Northern Christmas Week has been running since Monday (16 August).

Last December, millions of people in the UK received the disappointing news that they weren’t going to be able to spend the festive season with their families or friends, because Covid-19 was spreading too quickly. After a tough year in which people were struggling with poor mental health and worries about the future, the ‘cancellation’ of Christmas was a blow to many.

That’s why business group the Northern Affinity declared this week the new Christmas 2020. It wanted to give people the festive season they deserve, and to support independent retailers, restaurant owners and other businesses in the north of England which felt the negative impact of Covid restrictions.

People are being invited to give presents, arrange a family Christmas dinner or throw an office Christmas party. Decorations won’t be hard to find as the Northern Affinity has created a directory to help people find Christmas suppliers.

Michael Edwards, founder of the Northern Affinity, says Christmas week is the boost that individuals and businesses need, and is keen to support people in the region. ‘We want to showcase the skill sets and quality of businesses within the north to help our economy bounce back,’ he says. ‘We need to keep the community spirit alive that was demonstrated throughout lockdown.’

The Northern Affinity says that Christmas is so much more than just celebrations on 25 December.

Christians, in the north, south, east and west of the country and all over the world would agree with that. While they also enjoy the community spirit, Christmas is always meaningful for them because it is a celebration of the birth of Jesus.

They believe Jesus was God’s Son, sent into the world to save all humankind. His birth was the start of something that means anyone who puts their faith in him today can experience peace, joy and hope in every season.

Whatever the time of year, that’s something worth celebrating.

Christmas is so much more than celebrations on 25 December

21 August 2021 • WAR CRY • 5

From paralysis to the CHRIS WEGGEMANN

US swimmer MALLORY WEGGEMANN was left paralysed when she was a teenager after complications during a routine hospital procedure.

Through determination and love of the sport, she went on to compete in the London 2012 Paralympics, winning two medals. This year, she is in Tokyo, going for gold again Interview by Sarah Olowofoyeku

W

HEN Mallory Weggemann walked into the hospital for treatment at the age of 18, she could not have imagined that she would not walk back out. But today, 13 years after being paralysed, she is in Tokyo with the US team to compete in the Paralympic Games.

On 21 January 2008, Mallory went to receive an epidural injection, to help with the back pain she had been suffering.

While Mallory was a generally healthy young woman, she says she had never fully recovered after contracting a virus during a particularly stressful period in her family’s life.

‘I was still healthy, still a varsity athlete and captain of the swim team, but it was just one thing after another from then,’ she tells me in a video call from her home in Minnesota. ‘I got shingles, and then developed residual nerve pain. We tried high doses of certain medications, but ultimately it was decided to do epidural injections.

‘Unfortunately, due to complications, after what was to be my third and final injection, I was left paralysed. There was no forewarning that that was something that could go wrong, so there

Mallory underwent a programme of rehabilitation after being paralysed at the age of 18

Swimming was a big part of my family’s life

Mallory started swimming at the age of seven

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was immediate shock. It was a sudden moment of impact. It completely changed the trajectory of what I thought my life would be.’

With no movement from her abdomen down, Mallory had to begin dealing with both the physical and emotional effects of paralysis. Her family, and the church community she grew up with – her ‘extended family’, as she calls them – were supportive of her in practical ways.

But her road to recovery also led her back to the swimming pool, a place that had long been significant to her.

‘I first started swimming when I was seven years old,’ she says. ‘My two older sisters swam competitively as well, and I had wanted to do what they were doing. I instantly fell in love with the sport, and, growing up, it was a big part of my family’s life.’

That strong connection with the water

Paralympics

would later aid her as she came to terms with her paralysis.

She explains: ‘When I got in the water again, two and a half months after my paralysis, it was the place that welcomed me home. It let me feel connected to my past, but also led me into something that could be in my future.

‘I didn’t return to swimming thinking that I was going to become a Paralympic champion.

I started swimming again because I was yearning for a place that I could just be, where everything didn’t have to be about the fact that I was still learning how to get around independently or whatever I was trying to tackle that day.

‘When I got in the water that first day, it was the first time I felt in control. So much of my journey of grieving about my paralysis was trying to find ways to feel in control, because I wasn’t in control the day that it happened.

I really struggled with accepting that, letting go of the anger and moving forward knowing that what had happened was still a part of me, but not letting it pull me back.

‘The water was somewhere I felt my fullest self, somewhere I could go to think, process and grieve, or where I could mindlessly follow the black line at the bottom of the pool.

‘Through that, I realised I was a pretty good swimmer and, as well as processing my grief, I started to chase records

CHRIS WEGGEMANN/SEAN BERRY

and world championships.’

A year and a half later, Mallory was swimming competitively again.

Her accomplishments enabled her to challenge her perceptions of disability and of what her life could be because of it.

‘Every time I was in the pool, I proved to myself how physically capable I was,’ she says.

Mallory explains that part of her initial struggle with processing her condition was not seeing herself represented anywhere.

‘I have vivid memories of my first handful of times out of the hospital or my family home when I was out doing “normal” things,’ she says. ‘I struggled with feeling completely alone. I didn’t see myself reflected anywhere.

One of the most challenging things was realising I would not see shop window displays with pictures of individuals I could find myself in, I would not see employees or community members like me. And I didn’t even feel seen by the world around me. People saw the chair and looked through me.

‘I was so grateful that we found the Paralympic movement, months after my paralysis. It allowed me to see a community of people I saw myself in, who showed me a path forward through strength.

I needed it so desperately, because I knew I was strong but I yearned to see what I could be, and it’s

Turn to page 8 f 21 August 2021 • WAR CRY • 7

GETTY IMAGES

From page 7 hard to become what you don’t see.’

In the first four years after becoming paralysed, Mallory broke 34 American records, 15 world records, became a 12-time world champion and won a gold and a bronze medal at the London 2012 Paralympics. She recovered from a serious injury to compete against the odds at Rio 2016, and she is in Tokyo this year, hoping to win another gold.

The lack of representation she discovered in the early days of her disability continues to motivate her in her sport.

‘When I show up as an athlete,’ she says, ‘and get behind those starting blocks, I have the ability to empower that 18-year-old version of me, whoever she is and wherever in the world she could be.

That fuels my journey to pave a path so the next generation doesn’t have to ask “What about me?”’

That desire also played a part in leading her to write her autobiography, Limitless, published earlier this year.

She tells me: ‘I wanted to be on the cover. Not me, per se, but I wanted a woman in a wheelchair on a book cover, because I knew that cover would then sit

Mallory won gold at the London 2012 Paralympic Games

on bookshelves in stores, and it would mean that some little kid could go by on a crutch or could wheel or walk by and look at that bookshelf, and say “I can do that too” – whatever “that” is for them.

Showing somebody who lives with a disability and is being celebrated for who they are is so important.’

Bubbling beneath Mallory’s supportive

family, her passion for representation and her love of swimming is a quiet Christian faith that has also kept her going over the years.

‘My mum shared this idea with me for years that good overcomes, and so much of that is rooted in our faith, our understanding that there’s more than this moment, more than this lifetime,’ she says. ‘Believing in something bigger than yourself is a powerful way to see the bigger picture and live life. That belief has guided my family and my husband and

God gives us the strength to navigate through what happens in life me through a lot. It doesn’t take away the pain, but it gives you comfort.

‘There have been moments when I’ve been angry and frustrated and have thought that if God has a plan for everything, this is a really bad plan! But I’ve realised that he is not sitting there, laying out everything that will happen to us and we just have to deal with it.

Instead, he gives us the strength and the resources to navigate through what happens in life. I’m so grateful that my parents chose to raise my sisters and me that way, because I don’t know how I would have navigated through this if I didn’t have that faith to anchor me.’

Mallory with Jeremy, now her husband, after receiving her medal

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l Limitless is published

by Thomas Nelson

Faith characterised by c ca artoons Kids Alive! editor JUSTIN REEVES reveals the history and heritage behind The Salvation Army’s very own comic for children Interview by Emily Bright

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F a conversation between adults turns to comics, Marvel, The Dandy and The Beano will often come to mind. But one comic that has been running longer than any of them is Kids Alive! – a weekly publication

by The Salvation Army that is 140 years old next week.

‘We believe we’re the longest-running children’s publication in the world,’ says the comic’s editor Justin Reeves. ‘Kids Alive! started as The Little Soldier and has been on the go since 1881.’

Justin sees the purpose of the UK’s only Christian weekly comic aimed at junior school-aged children as being ‘evangelistic, entertaining and educational’.

‘We encourage kids to take a healthy approach to life physically, mentally and spiritually,’ he explains. ‘The comic is full of things kids can do. There are cartoon strips – some featuring Bible stories, others not – fun facts and a competition every week. There’s usually something to make or do in Creative Corner, and we keep our content topical.’

Justin emphasises that the publication is more than just an entertaining read – it empowers children to make positive choices in their everyday lives.

‘At Kids Alive! we try to be a comic that encourages kids to take action, whether that’s improving the environment,

The first issue of ‘The Little Soldier’ had the tagline ‘Our Children’s “War Cry”’ stopping bullying at school or being inclusive, kind and caring to family and friends.’

When putting together the comic, the team think about their readers’ context and the situations where children are truly being themselves – for instance, in the playground, on the walk to school with friends, or at one of their clubs.

‘We then use the truth of the Bible to help them understand how they can react to the situations they encounter,’ he says. ‘By doing that, I think we make the Christian faith alive, current and relevant.’

A key component of keeping the comic

We encourage a healthy approach to life

Justin Reeves

Turn to page 10 f

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From page 9 relevant is coverage of current events such as film releases, sporting occasions and awareness days. But Justin’s favourite part of his job is not attending the previews and promotions of such events. Rather, it is receiving readers’ stories, letters and colourings. The children also provide feedback about their favourite features.

While the young readers enjoy the Bible cartoons, Justin says, the most popular features are the puzzle pages, jokes and competitions. Mostly, children say how

The comic has covered international, historic and Salvation Army events as well as popular culture

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much they love the back-page cartoon called Patch’s Pals, which features a motley bunch of characters: Robbie’s Robot, Percy Penguin, Olive Forruthers, Pirate Pete and his jolly crew, Eric the Electric Eel and Naughty Norman.

Justin is unfazed by the fact that children seem to love the non-religious content most of all. He says that Kids Alive! is not put together to look like a Christian comic, but rather

as more of a mainstream magazine.

‘We hope that kids will pick up something that resonates with them, that they’ll enjoy reading about or that they’ll enjoy doing,’ he says, adding that he also hopes they will find ‘something in there that’s faith-based’.

Indeed, the Kids Alive! editorial team are keen to reach a non-church audience who would otherwise never hear about the Christian faith.

‘If they’re not going to a church, children might never hear about Jesus,’ says Justin. ‘If a child’s first encounter with Jesus is seeing a cartoon story in Kids Alive! and learning that he is someone who can be in their life in any situation, celebrating their joys as well as helping them when they’re troubled, then I think we’ve achieved something.’

The comic is widely read within The Salvation Army’s churches and is distributed at its Sunday schools and kids clubs.

‘Kids Alive! is just another part of a children’s worker’s toolbox to help their kids understand the Bible and learn about Jesus,’ says Justin.

‘Whether kids pick up a copy on the high street or in a church context, we’re about making the Christian faith real and accessible.’

Since the first issue was published on 27 August 1881, then known as The Little

We’re about making faith real and accessible

Soldier, the publication has sought to communicate the Christian faith in an accessible way. Over the past 140 years, a myriad of worldwide events have featured in the publication, including blackouts and rationing during the First World War, evacuation during the Second World War, and Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation in 1953.

Over its history, the publication has evolved from a newspaper sharing Salvation Army stories into the comic format that readers know and love today, via two name changes: it became The Young Soldier in 1888 and then, in 1996, Kids Alive!

‘In the late 1980s and early 1990s, The Young Soldier moved from being a newspaper and into more of a comic,’ says Justin. ‘Around that time, cartoon strips appeared on the front cover, as you’d expect on The Beano or The Dandy. And I think there were more comic strips within the comic.

‘When I first joined the paper in 1999, we were billing it as the only Christian newspaper in the UK for kids. Then during

my time on the comic, we made it more of a kids’ magazine, while retaining the feel of a comic with cartoon strips inside.’

To celebrate its rich heritage and history, Kids Alive! has been putting together a special 140th anniversary bumper issue, published today (Saturday 21 August).

‘We’re going to look back over the years at how the paper has evolved from 1881 through to the present day,’ Justin explains. ‘We’re reprinting the first cover of what was then The Little Soldier, which is fascinating because it talks about The Salvation Army in Hull gathering 2,500 children together to feed them, because there were so many children at that time who were struggling with hunger.

‘We’re publishing some old comic strips, which are fun to look at. There’s also a massive historical quiz, as well as a timeline of old front covers and historical content. The child that wins the quiz will receive a mystery prize bundle.’

Looking over the legacy of Kids Alive!, Justin sees the comic as ‘sowing seeds’

We made it more of a kids’ magazine

of faith in young people. He hopes that, through reading it, children will set off on a journey with Jesus and ‘discover a friendship and relationship with him that will last them through their lives and help them to become the best version of themselves that they can be’.

Once upon a time, one of its readers was the comic’s current graphic designer, Philippa Martin.

‘Knowing that we’ve got someone in our team who was once a Kids Alive! reader, who was reading stuff that me and my colleagues had put together, is really special to me,’ says Justin. ‘She looks back to it so fondly. Now, she enjoys working as part of our team, and I see her living out her Christian faith every day.

‘When I stop to think about it, she cannot be the only child who picked up a copy of Kids Alive!, is living a Christian life and has been encouraged along the way because of it. That’s our legacy right there.’ l To order copies of Kids Alive! email subscriptions@satcol.org or call 01933 445 445

21 August 2021 • WAR CRY • 11

Prayerlink YOUR prayers are requested for Joyce, who is experiencing digestion pain and has a leg ulcer.

The War Cry invites readers to send in requests for prayer, including the first names of individuals and details of their ­circumstances, for publication. Send your Prayerlink requests to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk or to War Cry, 101 Newington Causeway, Lon­don SE1 6BN. Mark your correspondence ‘Confidential’.

j

Becoming a Christian

There is no set formula to becoming a Christian, but many people have found saying this prayer to be a helpful first step to a relationship with God

Lord Jesus Christ, I am truly sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. Please forgive me. I now turn from everything that I know is wrong.

Thank you that you died on the cross for me so that I could be forgiven and set free.

talk ‘ ’ Team talk TEAM TALK We need a climate of hope Claire Brine gives her take on a story catching the attention of War Cry reporters

HUMAN activity is ‘unequivocally’ changing the world by warming the atmosphere, oceans and land, according to the new report by the UN’s intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC). UN secretary-general António Guterres describes the situation as a ‘code red for humanity’.

The rate of warming is ‘unprecedented in at least the last 2,000 years’, the report said. ‘Global surface temperature will continue to increase until at least the mid-century under all emissions scenarios considered.’

Taking all this in, I can’t help but feel overwhelmed. How did we end up here?

Why haven’t we taken more action sooner?

Twelve years ago, I interviewed environmental biologist Dr Martin Hodson, who, with a world view shaped by his Christian faith, was attempting to spur people into action. He said some words I’ve never forgotten: ‘If we don’t protect the environment, there won’t be any humans left on the planet … [by] the end of this century.’

That could, quite easily, be in my daughter’s lifetime.

Solutions are If we knew there was a climate crisis, why has global found when consumption increased in the past decade? Why haven’t governments, investors and businesses put their people feel energies into finding low-carbon solutions?

I wonder if the massive problem of climate change determined causes individuals to feel powerless and, therefore, passive. Back in 2009, Dr Hodson told me that, when he spoke to schoolchildren about climate change, the opinion of many pupils was ‘we’re all doomed’, so they thought there was little point in doing anything to help the planet.

His response to them was that the world wasn’t doomed. The IPCC report – released in an era when young people have been making the news as activists – agrees that the worst-case scenario can be averted.

But we are unlikely to succeed if we feel more doomed than inspired.

Perhaps from this point on, we need to start by adopting hope. Yes, we need to change the way we do things – and urgently. But in my experience, lifelong change and solutions to seemingly impossible problems are often found when people feel determined, committed, brave and optimistic. When we possess hope, the will to act can follow.

In this case, it has to. Our lives depend on it.

Thank you that you offer me forgiveness and the gift of your Holy Spirit.

Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be with me for ever.

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Amen

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War Cry 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN

Basic reading about Christianity Information about The Salvation Army

Looking for help?

Contact details of a Salvation Army minister Name Address Extract from Why Jesus? by Nicky Gumbel published by Alpha International, 2011. Used by kind permission of Alpha International

Or email your details and request to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk 12 • WAR CRY • 21 August 2021

puppy tales Life with a young dog leads Barbara Lang to look at the world from a new perspective

Cats and dogs J

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QUICK QUIZ 1

2

Which duo had a No 1 hit with their album The Impossible Dream in 2013 after appearing on Britain’s Got Talent?

According to the standard Gregorian calendar, how many days are in October?

A

3

4

5

6

Who plays DI Jimmy Perez in TV mystery crime drama Shetland?

What material, similar to thick paper, did ancient Egyptians write on?

Who wrote the award-winning novel This Must Be the Place?

The Prime Meridian, an imaginary geographical reference line, runs through which part of London, which gives it its alternative name?

ANSWERS

AK, our Welsh collie, was asleep under the table. He opened one eye as Smokey the cat strolled by. Jak has never been able to resist chasing poor Smokey.

At first, Smokey was afraid of him, but then she learnt that, instead of running, a stealthy walk past was much more effective, especially if he was sleeping. But this time Jak was peeping, and with one quick movement he was ready for the chase.

I smiled because recently I came across Jak and Smokey in another room. Jak was looking out of the window, wagging his tail. Smokey, from her secret vantage point of a seat under a writing desk, was clawing Jak’s tail. Every time he looked round, Smokey withdrew her paw and Jak couldn’t work out what was happening.

Like cats and dogs, people sometimes struggle to live peacefully together. Even family members who normally get on sometimes find it difficult – which can lead to feelings of irritation and annoyance. In these circumstances, a patient readiness to love each other is usually the answer.

These are the principles that Christians aspire to live by, believing that God is a God of peace and love.

Instead of fighting like cats and dogs, perhaps we should strive to encourage and live peacefully with each other.

Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

2 Corinthians 13:11 (New International Version )

BOOK REVIEW Keys of the Kingdom Nigel Bovey Shield Books REFERENCED more than 100 times in the New Testament, the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven played a key part in Jesus’ teaching. He spoke about the subject more than forgiveness, faith, sexual identity or worship.

In Keys of the Kingdom, Salvation Army minister – and former editor of the War Cry – Major Nigel Bovey unlocks the topic. He charts the key traits of the Kingdom found in the Old Testament and into the New Testament and unpacks popular parables to investigate what Jesus taught about it.

Nigel explains that, rather than being something relegated to the past or the future, the Kingdom of God is a living, breathing reality that transforms lives today.

The book, available next month from sps-shop.com and as an ebook from amazon.co.uk, also illustrates how, through the teachings of Jesus, the keys of the Kingdom are available to anyone who seeks them.

Emily Bright

21 August 2021 • WAR CRY • 13

1. Richard and Adam. 2. 31. 3. Douglas Henshall.

4. Papyrus. 5. Maggie O’Farrell. 6. Greenwich.

PUZZLES Quick CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Set free (7) 5. Remuneration (5) 7. Frenzied (7) 8. Uplift (5) 10. Kill (4) 11. Choke (8) 13. Unbroken (6) 14. Powerful (6) 17. Insinuation (8) 19. Haze (4) 21. Strive (5) 22. Irregular (7) 23. Wicked person (5) 24. Weekday (7) DOWN 2. Information sheet (7) 3. Against (4) 4. Rouse (6) 5. Guarantee (8) 6. Leaving (5) 7. Exact copy (9) 9. Vigorous (9) 12. Said yes (8) 15. Excluded (7)

SUDOKU Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9

2 4 9 8

1

9 2 4 1

2 6 2 7 7 5 1 9 6 9 5 4 8 8 9 1 2 3 3 2 1 6 16. Pre-Christmas period (6) 18. Female relative (5) 20. French cheese (4)

WORDSEARCH

2 4 7 8 3 1 6 9 9 8 3 7 5 6 2 4 Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally 1 5 6 4 2 9 3 8 on the grid to find these words associated with unity 3 1 8 9 6 2 7 5 F X N T O G E T H E R N E S S N B Z 4 Z 7 S 5Z O T W O H O C 3 1 8 9 6 N T B N W N M Y L N M N R Z Q U N A N 6 2 9 I 5 M 4I T Y Q L 7 1 3 Z Q T P K E C Q C M J T T Z B M B O 5 6 E R A 2 1 T 8I O N L 3 4 S7 F H E D D C O O P Q Y A Q T M H B R C R R R D O D L 8 9 1 6 7 4 5 Y2 Z Y C R Z Q E D Q G H O Z I A R T C 7 3 4 2 9 5 8 1 I A H N M D R U E H K B T T L P D F

M O HONEYC B Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number 1. Book of financial accounts 2. Insistent request 3. Narrative song 4. Used to plug a gap 5. Meal eaten outside 6. Rough drawing

Q V J J A O E T Q N Z A N J L U P D J D Z T C Q N V N L M L E Y I E X N H R M N S I C Y Q A W L M C A W L H D O O D E O E M G Z Q O E C N Z H Q D C Q Z Z H P L V W C C E V C T P C G C H F C L A E N Y T I R G E T N I Z A J Q Z M A C H F M Q G V P C Z P Y T I R A D I L O S M L A M Z P H C Q J K N Q S U S N E S N O C T D P Z T K X Y G Z M T A U I H Y Q S I B K

ANSWERS 2 9 1 3 4 6 5 8 7

4 8 5 1 7 2 6 9 3

7 3 6 8 5 9 2 1 4

8 7 4 9 3 5 1 6 2

3 5 2 6 1 4 8 7 9

8 9 1 3 2

1 6 9 2 8 7 3 4 5

6 2 3 7 9 1 4 5 8

9 4 8 5 6 3 7 2 1

5 1 7 4 2 8 9 3 6

2 3 1 6 8

HONEYCOMB 1. Ledger. 2. Demand. 3. Ballad.

4. Filler. 5. Picnic. 6. Sketch.

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Release. 5. Wages. 7. Frantic. 8. Raise.

10. Cull. 11. Strangle. 13. Intact. 14. Strong.

17. Innuendo. 19. Mist. 21. Exert. 22. Erratic.

23. Fiend. 24. Tuesday.

DOWN: 2. Leaflet. 3. Anti. 4. Excite. 5. Warranty.

6. Going. 7. Facsimile. 9. Energetic. 12. Accepted.

15. Omitted. 16. Advent. 18. Niece. 20. Brie.

14 • WAR CRY • 21 August 2021

ACCORD AGREEMENT ALLIANCE AMALGAMATION COHERENCE COLLABORATION CONCORD CONSENSUS

CO-OPERATION HARMONY INTEGRATION INTEGRITY PEACE SOLIDARITY TOGETHERNESS UNANIMITY

5 1 7 4 2 8 9 3 6

Cheesy coleslaw with wholemeal pitta Ingredients 1tsp reduced-calorie mayonnaise 1tbsp low-fat Greekstyle yoghurt 1 thin slice white cabbage, shredded 1 small carrot, grated 2 spring onions, chopped 20g reduced-fat cheddar cheese, grated

Method To make the coleslaw, mix the mayonnaise and yoghurt in a bowl. Add the vegetables, cheese and, if using, parsley and mix well.

Carefully split open the pitta bread and fill with the coleslaw. Serve in a lunchbox alongside cherry tomatoes, a small box of raisins and 200ml semiskimmed milk.

Parsley, chopped (optional)

SERVES

1

1 large wholemeal pitta

Creamy hummus dip with pitta and vegetable sticks Ingredients 2tbsp tinned chickpeas ½ lemon, juice 1tbsp low-fat Greek-style yoghurt 1tbsp olive oil ¼ tsp paprika ¼ tsp cumin 1 garlic clove, peeled 1 large wholemeal pitta, cut into strips

Method To make the hummus, put the chickpeas, lemon juice, yoghurt, oil, spices and garlic in a bowl. Use a hand blender to mix together until smooth.

Place the hummus, pitta bread strips and the carrot and celery sticks in plastic containers, and pack up as a lunch to serve with a banana, a sugar-free jelly pot and a bottle of water.

1 small carrot, cut into sticks 1 stick celery, cut into sticks

SERVES

1

Recipes reprinted, with permission, from the Public Health England website nhs.uk/change4life

21 August 2021 • WAR CRY • 15

CS Lewis

WAR CRY